Category Archives: Wisconsin

A Camping Weekend

Last week, I had the opportunity to join some friends for a camping retreat in central Wisconsin. We met at a place I’d never heard of before: Deeply Rooted Community in Athens, WI.

About Deeply Rooted

Deeply Rooted is an intentional community in the woods of central Wisconsin. It’s completely off-grid, by which I mean there is no running water and the only electricity is provided through the use of solar panels. They do have a gas stove for cooking in the main lodge, but otherwise the place is completely rustic.

Things To Know Before You Go

DR community hosts several private events throughout the year, so check the website calendar to see when they are open to receiving visitors. You’ll need a reservation to visit.

DR offers two types of accommodations. Visitors can bring a tent and camp on the land, or stay in the communal sleeping area on the second floor of the lodge. Think of a camp dormitory: you’ll be sleeping in your own bed in a large room full of other people in their own beds.

You’ll need to be comfortable with using primitive facilities. DR offers no running water, but there are jugs of fresh water available for drinking and cleaning the kitchen area. If you want to take a shower, you’ll need to invest in a solar portable. This also means no plumbing. The DR community uses a composting outhouse.

Prepare for it to be chilly, even in the summer. DR is far enough north that it gets quite cool at night. Those staying in the lodge will be kept warm by the large wood stove. Those outside will want to bundle up.

The closest towns with amenities are Medford (20 minutes) and Wasau (30 minutes).

Winter in Milwaukee may be horrific, but summer here is absolutely perfect.

I miss the drawn out, gentle unfolding of springtime in the South, but I’m also a big fan of the energy and suddenness of the season here in Wisconsin. Nature knows she has to move quickly in order to take advantage of the short warm season, so things here happen fast. Get ready for MKE summertime madness. (Thanks, Lana Del Rey!)

My schedule is pretty flexible right now (looking for a job, hello!) but that gives me plenty of time to observe this firecracker of a season. Every single day brings a dramatic change in the amount of flowers and green that we see, the diversity of colors, and the number of people in shorts!

I am particularly tickled by how pale the folks of European ancestry appear as they try to dress for warmer weather (myself included).

“Wisconsin Winter White” should be a Crayola color. We look like cave salamanders out there.

So I’ve taken a few photos to try and capture the burst of color here in Milwaukee. So many good things to come.

I live in a small apartment in the city complete with a kitchen in which Barbie would feel cramped. I have a gas stove, 4-top range with an oven that works beautifully, but I don’t have much in the way of space to either prep, clean, or store a ton of pots and pans.

Tall sides help prevent messes and make it easy to stir-fry.

I’ve always been a fan of cast iron cooking, but after a few weeks of digging around and trying to manage my limited space, I decided it was time to simply and embrace a paradigm shift.

From now on, I would primarily rely on one or two pans for cooking and adapt my recipes to these pans as best I could. I kept a small nonstick pan handy for making eggs and made my dutch oven the centerpiece of my cooking experience.

Here are a few reasons why you might want to incorporate a dutch oven into your routine, even if you do have plenty of space:

Versatility. You can cook just about anything with a dutch oven. Stovetop or oven, it’s ready for anything.

Simplicity. I’m a big fan of stir frying because it requires little in the way of prep, is relatively healthy, and I can switch up the veggies and meat as I need. I come home from work, throw my ingredients in a hot pan, and in a few minutes my dinner is ready.

Makes clean-up a snap. The sides of the 5-qt dutch oven are tall, which helps me avoid making a mess. It reduces splatters from the oil and reduces the chance that my veggies will fly out of the pan.

Look cool. After the dutch oven is cool, rinse it out, wipe it down, and leave it on the stove. People will know you’re a hard core cast-iron aficionado. They will love you for it.

I don’t get any credit for promoting them, but my favorite dutch ovens and other cookware all come from Lodge Cast Iron.

Just Southwest of Milwaukee

Not only was yesterday Earth Day, but it felt like the first real day of spring here in Southern Wisconsin. Abundant sunshine, temps above 50, and just about everyone was outside basking in the glory. Was I staying in or going to a movie on such a glorious day? Not on your life!

I convinced my partner in crime that today was the perfect day for some hiking or at least some quality outdoor time so we headed down to the Kettle Moraine Southern Unit.

The Kettle Moraine Southern unit is quite expansive: the various campgrounds and hiking trails are scattered over about a 10 mile area about 30 minutes southwest of Milwaukee. We’d been there before, but today we decided to visit a new area. We headed toward the Ottawa Lake Campround area, which is about the northern most area of the Southern Unit.

Clear water for clearing one’s mind.

Another campsite with access to the water

Swimming, fishing, and boating

Lakeside campsite

Amphitheater

What to Know Before Going

Fees

The Wisconsin DNR requires all vehicles to purchase either a day pass ($8 – $15) or an annual pass ($28 for in-state plates, $38 for out-of-state plates). Annual passes are window decals that are good for any park in the WI system for the current calendar year. Some discounted passes are available for seniors. See complete details here.

Campsites

The Ottawa Lake Campground includes some gorgeous campsites, many of which are right beside the lake and include direct access to the water. There are sites for primitive camping as well as those equipped with RV hookups. Campsites on the easternmost side of the camping area are alarmingly close to HWY 67. Although a line of trees affords the sites some privacy, the noise from oncoming traffic can be a major distraction.

Facilities

You’ll have access to flush toilets and hot showers, a children’s playground, fishing pier, and plenty of evenly surfaced walking paths. Most of them are paved. Even on this early spring day, we saw people boating, fishing, and (surprisingly) swimming.

Highlights

What excited me the most about Ottawa Lake were the lakeside campsites and the amphitheater/beach area. This facility is comfortable and very family-friendly. For those who want to enjoy the comforts of hot showers, paved walking trails, and easy accessibility to fishing, then this is the place for you.

Those seeking more challenging hikes and other adventures can hop on one of the many adjacent trails or take a quick drive to another part of the state forest system. The southern unit is close enough for excursions to both Madison and Milwaukee, and there are a number of small villages in the area.

NOTE: Pay attention to the speed limit signs in the surrounding areas. Speed limits change frequently, range from 15 – 55 mph, and there are a number of well-planned speed traps around the Southern unit.

On a beautiful and warm day last summer, I attended an earth spirituality celebration in Madison. It was a small affair, held at one of the parks and attended by 150 or so people. There were plenty of activities and vendors and interesting folks to meet. After making some new contacts and browsing the offerings of a number of booksellers, jewelry makers, and artists, I casually picked up a brochure for a retreat area in the center of the state called Sweetwood Temenos.

Sacred well.

The Sweetwood website describes the facility as a kind of nature preserve and dedicated space for people of various earth-centered spiritual practices. They host regular events that include camping, fellowship, good food, and the all-important opportunity to relax and unwind. I was sold.

According to their calendar, there was an upcoming weekend festival to celebrate the autumn equinox. The event coincided with a long weekend for me, so I decided to see about joining them for at least a day. The website requests that all first-time visitors contact the hosts prior to arrival, so I sent and email and set up a phone call with one of the folks in charge.

Our conversation was pleasant, and I was told that experience had taught them that it was best to connect with first-timers ahead of arrival to make sure the facility was a good fit. I’ve been to a number of pagan festivals and campgrounds, so I had an idea of what to expect. But that’s not always the case with folks who are exploring Neopaganism for the first time.

So we had a lovely conversation in which we talked about my experiences at other festivals and discussed some of the people that we knew in common. I had the sense that this was a healthy and welcoming community, and so we decided that I would drive up and spend Saturday with them. I would have loved to have camped but did not want to make an investment in camping equipment at the time.

What did I find?

First and foremost, the drive up was a pure delight. Since moving to the Midwest, one of my chief complaints has been how flat the land is here. I’m used to small mountains and big hills, something that Wisconsin lacks. But this far north, things were different. My path took me through miles of rural farmland, gently rolling hills, and near the quiet simplicity of what appeared to be some Amish communities.

With the help of Google Maps, I was able to find Sweetwood without any problems. (Upon arrival, I was told that I had taken the longest of three possible routes, but I did not mind in the least.) I was greeted warmly and given some time to settle in before I received a personal tour.

Sweetwood consists of 40+ acres of pristine woodlands, secluded and well-kept. The local community and a group of volunteers maintain the area and tend to the forest, so undergrowth is minimal and I did not notice any poison ivy. (Poison ivy is always on my mind when I’m outdoors because I had a nasty tangle with it as a teenager and I never want to be that miserable again.)

Aside from a designated camping area, the site consists of

a permanent covered structure (no walls) that is serves as a dining area or gathering space during rain

an enormous permanent ritual circle

a shower house with HOT water, private stalls, and flush toilets (If you’ve ever been to a festival without these amenities, you will recognize the awesomeness inherent therein)

Designated spaces for campfires throughout the camping area

Several devotional shrines scattered throughout the woods

Well-tended trails.

As you’ll see from my photos, Sweetwood is a beautiful place and it is definitely worth your time to visit if you have the opportunity.

Keep in mind that all first-time visitors must contact the community before attending any events.

I’m especially fond of watching retailers reinvent themselves (or at least their stores) in order to stay ahead of consumer trends and remain competitive. So I have watched with great interest as my local grocery store, the Metro Market, underwent an extensive renovation in the winter of 2017-2018.

For those who may not be familiar with Metro Market, here’s some background:

Metro Market is one of a handful of store brands used by the Wisconsin and Illinois-based Roundy’s Supermarket chain. Roundy’s is also known from its many Pick’ n Save locations as well as its Chicago flagship store, Mariano’s Fresh Market. Roundy’s was bought by the Kroger company in 2015 but the Roundy’s branding has remained mostly intact.

In order to remain competitive with these other local stores, the Metro Market branding strategy has incorporated two primary objectives:

Distinguish the Metro Market from the Pic’ N Save stores. Pic’ N Save stores are usually located in suburbs or less affluent neighborhoods, and their aesthetic can be best described as a 90’s-era, average supermarket theme conveyed by a sterile atmosphere and an emphasis on cost-savings. Overall, the Pic N’ Save locations are bland and boring. You know the type: white floors, white ceilings, and row after row of shelves packed with a few different brands.

Tap into the urban middle class appetite for a “market experience.”This means an emphasis on locally-sourced and organically grown foods, a warm (perhaps even earthy) atmosphere, and a store that feels less like a monolithic supermarket with only one vendor and more like a communal retail space shared by a variety of merchants and their unique brands.

So how did they do?

It’s a mixed bag. On the one hand, the rejuvenated Metro Market definitely feels warmer and more upscale, and the aesthetics of the place are greatly improved. On the other hand, the branding changes don’t go beyond the surface to offer shoppers much that is new. Of course, offering shoppers something “new” was never the point: it was about making it feel new. Here’s what was accomplished:

First, shoppers will notice the most dramatic changes in the produce, deli, meat, and bakery departments. Each is now branded separately (at least nominally so) in order to give the emulate an experience such as that of shopping at the Milwaukee Public Market.

Entrance way sign announcing the various “brands.”

The Starbucks coffee shop is a nice addition.

Pizza, sushi, cheese, meats, and other subcategories have all received their own branding.

Darker floors, bright colors, and a dedicated organic section lend a more natural, earthy feel to the produce department.

Colorful bakery signage.

The liquor deparment is no longer separate from the main store.

The floors have been resurfaced in dark wood, the outdated lighting fixtures have been replaced by trendier models, and each section of the counter boasts its own superficial signage. The bakery counter is now “Badger Baking,” the liquor aisle is called “Cork & Cask,” and the deli counter is being billed as the “Van Buren Deli” and “Todds BBQ” (sic). The missing apostrophe in Todd’s BBQ really stuck out to me, but that’s my issue as an English teacher.

In addition to the store’s facelift and the use of multiple “brands” to break up the monotony of the shopping experience, there are some new additions. There’s a juice bar (“Squeezed”), a Starbucks location, and a beer and wine vending area so you can have a drink in the store. There’s also a gourmet popcorn counter, a gelato case, and an expanded Asian-themed counter.

These changes are welcome and in some cases they are substantial improvements. But overall, the renovation and rebranding are largely about aesthetics and not about the way Metro Market is doing business. Once shoppers wind their way past all the new signs and the wine bar, they will see a familiar sight:

This part of the store has received updated signage but has otherwise remain unchanged.

So that’s my short review. Metro Market is still my closest grocery store, and I’ll continue to shop there as long as that’s the case. I’m pleased that the store received a much-needed facelift, but I’ll continue to long for the day when my location (and budget!) will allow me to shop more frequently at grocers that truly offer a closer connection to the food I eat.